Venomverse: War Stories Vol 1 1
(Story) | Editor-in-Chief = Axel Alonso | CoverArtist1 = Francesco Mattina | Production1_1 = Alan Fine | CCO = Joe Quesada | President1_1 = Dan Buckley | Quotation = No. We can't think like that, Stephen. These aren't sacrificial lambs we're bringing to the slaughter. By the time I'm done with them, they'll be soldiers. So let's see 'em... let's see the next batch of recruits... | Speaker = Captain Venom | StoryTitle1 = Tales from the Front Lines | Writer1_1 = Cullen Bunn | Penciler1_1 = Annapaola Martello | Inker1_1 = Annapaola Martello | Colourist1_1 = Java Tartaglia | Letterer1_1 = Joe Sabino | Editor1_1 = Devin Lewis | Editor1_2 = Allison Stock | Editor1_3 = Nick Lowe | Appearing1 = Featured Characters: * ** ** Other Characters: * ** Poison Moon Knight * * * * * * * * * * * Races and Species: * * * * * Locations: * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* ******** ********* ********** Items: * * * | Synopsis1 = At the Sanctum Sanctorum, Venomized Doctor Strange is meditating above a magic circle when an exhausted and injured Captain Venom staggers into the room, revealing his squad was ambushed by the Poisons. Strange asks what happened to the others, and Captain Venom reveals he was the sole survivor, and that most of his squad were killed outright but that some were consumed, including Moon Knight. Strange recommends they evacuate since Moon Knight knew the location of their base, and Captain Venom asks if they're the only remaining members of the Resistance. Strange assures him that they are not alone — there are an infinite number of universes in the Multiverse, making for a countless number of Venom symbiotes. Captain Venom laments that despite the statistical advantage they're still running out faster than Strange can summon them, but Strange says he's regained enough strength to attempt another summoning. Opening a window across the multiverse, Strange shows Captain Venom a number of potential recruits, lamenting that he lacks the power to summon an army. Captain Venom acknowledges that that might give them the power to overwhelm the Poisons by force, but that since the Poisons were able to consume the Hulk and Rhino it's apparent the head-on approach no longer works, suggesting finding Venoms who specialize in stealth and demolitions. Strange states that they need more bodies to throw at the Poisons, but Captain Venom chastises him for suggesting that. Saying that by the time he's done with them they'll be soldiers, Captain Venom tells Strange to show him the next batch of recruits. | StoryTitle2 = Blessing in Disguise | Writer2_1 = Nnedi Okorafor | Penciler2_1 = Tana Ford | Inker2_1 = Tana Ford | Colourist2_1 = Ian Herring | Letterer2_1 = Joe Sabino | Editor2_1 = Devin Lewis | Editor2_2 = Allison Stock | Editor2_3 = Nick Lowe | Appearing2 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * * * Antagonists: * Other Characters: * * * Ngozi's parents Races and Species: * * Locations: * ** *** **** *** **** Items: * * * | Synopsis2 = In Lagos, Nigeria, former athlete Ngozi — a young woman who idolizes Bruce Lee and dreams of joining the Dora Milaje — watches a documentary on grasshoppers while lamenting having been paralyzed from the waist down in a bus accident. Spotting a grasshopper — which the documentary states are renowned for their powerful hind legs — outside her window, she excitedly grabs a bug jar and wheels outside to catch it. Before she can do so, the Black Panther and Rhino crash into a nearby fruit stall, dropping a canister that rolls next to her wheelchair. The canister comes open, releasing a black amorphous creature that Black Panther shouts at her to stay away from. As the creature flows up the wheelchair and onto Ngozi's body, Black Panther lunges towards her but is grabbed by the Rhino. The creature covers Ngozi and bonds to her, complementing her name and introducing itself as Venom. Ngozi interrupts the symbiote's introductory speech by standing up, overjoyed at being able to use her legs again. Discovering its ability to shape-shift, Ngozi takes on a grasshopper-like appearance and sprouts wings to fly, but her celebration is cut short when the Rhino irately slams the Black Panther to the ground, grumbling that his mother warned him black cats were bad luck — and then stomps on T'Challa's back, killing him. As the Rhino approaches them, symbiote panics, saying that they need to run and that nothing can stop him. Ngozi tries to calm it and tells it that it's their duty to protect the innocents endangered by the Rhino, and when the symbiote tries to abandon her to escape she forces it to remain bonded to her, reassuring it and saying that it doesn't matter if they can defeat the Rhino, they will. Sprouting claws and fangs, Ngozi attacks the Rhino, who orders the symbiote to get back in the canister. Complementing her intuitiveness, the symbiote admits that perhaps they do stand a chance, Ngozi using her new superhuman agility to evade Rhino's attacks, angrily accusing him of killing the Black Panther. The Rhino lunges at her, saying he'll kill her too, but Ngozi flying kicks him in the eye with her clawed feet, killing him. The symbiote complements her, and Ngozi says she always wanted to be one of the Dora Milaje, just not like this. Some time later, the Dora Milaje arrive to recruit Ngozi, assuring her parents that she will be safe. The symbiote is wary, suggesting they flee, but Ngozi reassures it and says they'll stay. For two weeks, Ngozi trains with the Dora Milaje, who consider her a natural not quite on T'Challa's level, and strengthens her bond with the symbiote by fighting as one with it. Ngozi is chosen as T'Challa's interim successor, undergoing the heart-shaped herb ritual to become the Black Panther — which has the additional side-effect of permanently bonding her to the symbiote. During her coronation as Wakanda's ruler, one of the attendees insensitively remarks that she may be strong but cannot walk without the symbiote, but Venom tells her to ignore the harsh words directed at her and focus on their duty to protect Wakanda as the Black Panther. | StoryTitle3 = Deal with the Devil | Writer3_1 = Declan Shalvey | Penciler3_1 = Declan Shalvey | Inker3_1 = Declan Shalvey | Colourist3_1 = Chris O'Halloran | Letterer3_1 = Joe Sabino | Editor3_1 = Devin Lewis | Editor3_2 = Allison Stock | Editor3_3 = Nick Lowe | Appearing3 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Antagonists: * * Kingpin's Henchmen * Numerous unnamed members of various crime families of New York Other Characters: * * Game of Thrones Races and Species: * * Locations: * ** *** **** ***** ****** ****** ******* ******** ** Items: * * * | Synopsis3 = On Staten Island, Frank Castle approaches the Kingpin's safe house, lamenting that his one-man war on crime has been a losing battle, especially ever since Wilson Fisk united all of New York's criminals against Castle. With Castle out of resources, ammo, and luck, Fisk offered to arrange a parley if Castle agreed to come unarmed. As he presses the buzzer on the safehouse's door, Castle declares his intent to make a deal with the devil. Fisk welcomes Castle to his safe house, noting that it had served as a place of refuge against Castle's campaign in the past. Fisk has his thugs search Castle for weapons, delivering a mocking speech about how the Punisher was once feared but that he underestimated his enemy. As Fisk smugly sips a glass of wine, Castle declares that he accepts the deal. Fisk tells Castle there was never a deal between them and orders his thugs to kill him, but Castle coldly retorts that he wasn't speaking to Fisk. The Venom symbiote erupts out of Castle's mouth and smothers Fisk to death, mentally stating that it's happy Castle accepted its offer. Covering Castle and forming a tooth-firing assault rifle, the symbiote mockingly tells the thugs that when they searched Castle for weapons they missed one: Venom. The thugs open fire, but the symbiote nullifies their bullets and the Venomized Punisher then returns fire, killing them all. Declaring itself the arsenal of Frank's war on crime, the symbiote tells Castle to point it at his targets and unleash hell. Fully bonding to the symbiote, Frank uses it to resume his mission to wipe out all crime in New York, the name of the Punisher once again striking fear into the hearts of criminals. With his mission complete and the symbiote having feasted on New York's organized crime families, it demands he uphold his end of their bargain: its service as a weapon in his war against crime in exchange for killing a target of its choosing. Castle asks who the target is, but the symbiote only says that whenever it tried to kill him in the past it was unable to do so. Forming a sniper rifle, the symbiote says it needs Frank to take the killshot and finish off the last monster left for them to punish. As Spider-Man swings past, Castle realizes the symbiote's intent and refuses to comply. The symbiote furiously berates him for reneging on his half of their deal, then reminds Castle that since they bonded it's inside his head and that its biomass comprises the gun, preparing to pull the trigger itself. Before it can do so, it and Castle are abruptly sucked into a portal. Oblivious, Spider-Man wonders where all the criminals have gone and then complains about missing Game of Thrones. | StoryTitle4 = 3, 2, 1. | Writer4_1 = Magdalene Visaggio | Penciler4_1 = Alex Arizmendi | Inker4_1 = Alex Arizmendi | Colourist4_1 = Lee Loughridge | Letterer4_1 = Joe Sabino | Editor4_1 = Devin Lewis | Editor4_2 = Allison Stock | Editor4_3 = Nick Lowe | Appearing4 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Rocket's spaceship's A.I. Antagonists: * Other Characters: * * Races and Species: * * * * * * Locations: * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* Midtown ******** ********* Items: * * Vehicles: * Rocket's spaceship | Synopsis4 = Inside his ship, the Venomized Rocket Racoon looks at a display screen showing the Avengers' Mansion, asking his computer if it's sure it's identified the right target. When the computer replies "Affirmative", Rocket notes that the last time is answered "Affirmative" to that question he wound up fighting A-Bomb, noting that it's like the computer is trying to get him killed and sarcastically asking if it's waiting until the robot uprising to take him out. When the computer responds with another "Affirmative", Rocket climbs into a torpedo tube, quipping that he knew there was a reason he liked the AI. Fired from the ship, Rocket crashes through the kitchen window of Carol Danvers, who is eating breakfast. Explaining that the symbiote doesn't like the gravity thrusters and keeps clogging them with tendrils, Rocket apologizes for the mess and then asks if she is Carol Danvers — aka Captain America — saying it's hard to tell humans apart without the fancy costumes. Carol quips that she finds it equally hard to distinguish Rocket from the raccoons that raid her garbage, confirming that she's Captain America. Protracting weapons from the symbiote, Rocket gleefully tells her that the Kree have placed a massive bounty on her head that he intends to claim. Summoning her shield, Carol transforms into Captain America and blocks Rocket's barrage of gunfire. Lamenting that the symbiote can't charge energy weapons, Rocket lunges at her; but she punches him aside, asking what the Kree want with her. Rocket retorts that he doesn't care, then extrudes a plasma cannon from his chest and blasts her point-blank, sending her crashing through several walls. Keeping pace with her, Rocket sneers that humans metaphorically lack teeth in contrast to his own symbiote-augmented fangs. Noticing she's still alive, Rocket makes a note to augment himself with Kree genetic engineering, but Captain America asks if they can take the fight outside to avoid completely destroying her house. When Rocket refuses, Captain America shield-bashes him through the wall to the outside, leaving a silhouette-shaped hole. As Rocket picks himself up, Captain America gives him thirty seconds to turn and leave. He wastes fifteen running his mouth at her, then quips that he only needs ten and morphs his arm into a gun. Protracting his full arsenal, Rocket prepares for round two, but before he can attack a portal appears and begins to engulfs him. Rocket pleads for Captain America to help him, promising not to kill her; but is sucked into the portal, which vanishes. Bemused, Captain America decides to call it a win and go clean up. | StoryTitle5 = Force Majeure | Writer5_1 = Aaron Covington | Penciler5_1 = Khary Randolph | Inker5_1 = Khary Randolph | Colourist5_1 = Emilio Lopez | Letterer5_1 = Joe Sabino | Editor5_1 = Devin Lewis | Editor5_2 = Allison Stock | Editor5_3 = Nick Lowe | Appearing5 = Featured Characters: * Antagonists: * * ** ** ** ** ** ** Other Characters: * * * * Races and Species: * * * * Locations: * ** *** **** ***** *** ** Items: * * * * * Vehicles: * | Synopsis5 = In Latveria, Doctor Doom sits on his throne addressing the Avengers via video conference, telling them that the rumors that he has bonded to the Venom symbiote are true, but assuring them that he is in control. The symbiote mentally interjects, mocking Doom's egotism and asserting that it is the one in control, but Doom tries to ignore it and goes on to state that he wants to propose a unilateral peace agreement, the terms of which he expects they will find more-than reasonable. The symbiote mentally demands he use this to get the Avengers to lower their guard and then devour them, but Doom disregards it and again assures them that he has completely suppressed the symbiote. As Captain America asks how they can be sure Doom isn't lying, the symbiote gleefully anticipates an all-you-can-eat buffet. Doom states that he's turned over a new leaf, the symbiote snidely mocking him, and that he is certain that the Latverian Peace Treaty will stand as mankind's greatest achievement. The symbiote urges Doom to attack now rather than hide behind false diplomacy, stating that it's hungry, but Doom again asserts that he is the one in control. In the Avengers' Mansion, Captain America asks the other Avengers if they buy Doom's rhetoric. Black Widow agrees that the document Doom sent is the most comprehensive accord she's ever seen, but Luke Cage states he doesn't trust it. Captain America tells him that if he plans to go to Latveria he should take a team, and Cage replies that in that case Captain America had better hurry up. Standing at his desk, Doom engages the symbiote in a mental debate. It asks why he resists it, and Doom replies that he does so on principle and because he refuses to be a puppet to satiate its bloodlust. The symbiote sneers that Doom is only human and thus has limitations, while it is without limits altogether. As it separates from him and attacks, Doom condescendingly asks if it honestly believes he needs it to be limitless; listing his various achievements as they fight, smashing through several walls. The symbiote is unimpressed, taking over a number of Doombots and urging Doom to join it. As the symbiote-controlled androids attack, Doom rebukes it; saying that if it is not willing to give him its power on his terms than he will just take it. Towering over him, the symbiote threatens to take him over completely, but Doom retorts that while others like the Avengers fear its power, he fears nothing. As the Avengers' Quinjet nears Castle Doom, the fortress explodes in a blast of magical energy. Wearing an Iron Man mask, gauntlets, and boots, Luke Cage exits the jet stating he knew Doom and the symbiote couldn't be trusted. Exiting the flaming ruins of his castle accompanied by a squad of Doombots, Doom declares that the symbiote is gone, having enslaved it to his will and left it totally subservient to him. Transforming into a monstrous Venomized form, Doom prepares to attack but senses an inter-dimensional gathering of other incarnations of Venoms through the symbiote. As Doom declares his intent to investigate what is going on in the Multiverse, Iron Man attacks with a Repulsor blast. Doom warps to join the battle against the Poisons just before the attack hits, leaving Iron Man to believe he'd killed him. | Solicit = • Sure, you know about some of the adventures All-New Wolverine, Gwenpool, Ghost Rider, Old Man Logan and Deadpool went on with their symbiotes, but what about the rest?! • Featuring a star-studded lineup of creators and characters, including… • …a VENOMIZED PUNISHER story written and drawn by Declan Shalvey! • And the awesome adventures of VENOMIZED ROCKET RACCOON by Magdalene Visaggio! | Notes = | Trivia = * Ngozi's segment of Venomverse: War Stories has drawn some criticism for possessing ableist themes. }} | Recommended = | Links = }}